Being a bridesmaid is a lot of work. You have to get yourself to any number of pre-wedding events, agree to wear (and pay for) a bridesmaid’s dress you’ll likely never wear again, despite what the bride says, and finally show up extremely early the day of and be the most supportive best friend ever. It’s not all fun and games. And that’s why one woman is making a living at being a professional bridesmaid.
Jen Glantz, is a 29-year-old from Manhattan and she has seen some stuff. She has been a professional bridesmaid, filling in for the real deal, for nearly three years. Before that, Glantz was an unpaid bridesmaid six times. She soon realized that keeping up that pace was unsustainable. But still, she was good at being a bridesmaid.
In 2014, she posted an ad in the personal section on Craigslist, asking brides if they “need someone to take control.” She got more than 100 responses in just two days.
“Friends don’t know how to handle [brides] in stressful wedding situations,” Glantz told TIME. “It becomes a bit of a nightmare. I’m that third-party person who can say, ‘you can chill about this, because you can trust me.’ I bring them back to reality.”
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Glantz charges between $1,200 to $2,000 to be a “day-of coordinator.” This basically amounts to being a not-quite-wedding planner who is in charge of details like picking up the dry cleaning and making sure the garter toss goes off without a hitch.
Some brides even pay Glantz to walk right down the aisle with them and stand at the altar. This could be because they’ve had a falling out with the original bridesmaid or because the original failed her duties in some way. That service starts at $2,000. Not bad for a day’s work!
At the beginning of last month, Glantz already had 20 clients lined up who were in need of a professional bridesmaid. The rest of her calendar is already filling up quickly as well.
“Every month is wedding season for me,” Glantz told TIME.
In need of her services? Check out the full package on her website: Bridesmaid For Hire.
An aspiring food and health writer, native Chicagoan, and nut butter enthusiast. Jessica is also the creator of BiteMeBlog, but don't call her a foodie More.
